A Staycation at the Sheraton Grand

We arrived separately to the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane, myself in the front entrance (or back entrance as it would have been in past years) and Ben in the back as though the men and women would have done separately since the hotel was opened way back in the 20’s.

Almost 90 years later and the hotel has been taken back to its 20’s roots with a complete refurbishment and it looks beautiful.

I arrived at the room before Ben so managed to scout it out. His and Hers monogrammed dressing gowns lay on the perfectly made beautiful bed amongst the glow of the side lamps identical to the ones Coco Chanel had in her Paris Apartment.

The 20’s influence within the hotel is undeniable and Ben and I were keen to get changed and head down for a few drinks at the bar. Kamil had us seated and our favourite drinks mixed and poured within minutes. We drank them just as quickly and he created some concoctions especially for us. If you fancy the same service, just ask him for a special Christmas cocktail or for his recommendations and I guarantee he will create something just as delicious!

With another round of drinks down and feeling wonderfully relaxed from the atmosphere in the bar, it was time for a movie and room service in our palatial Park View Suite. We ate at the dining table in our wonderful monogrammed dressing gowns, before running giant bubble baths and taking it in turns to soak before climbing in amongst the welcoming sheets of the bed and falling sound asleep only waking up to the smell of bacon the next day.

Room service knocked on the door and our breakfast was set out on the table. It reminded me of the scene from ‘A Little Princess’ when the plates of hot food arrive in the attic space and they can’t believe the trays of deliciousness. That’s exactly how I felt as the silver trays were lifted and the food was revealed. Pastries, fruit, yoghurt, pancakes, sausages, cereal. Whatever we wanted, it was all there in our room spread out and waiting to be tasted. We wolfed down as much as we could before we rushed out for the mornings activities.

I had booked a haircut at Hershesons, just a short walk from the hotel, before the most incredible manicure experience I’ve ever had. Ben had been whisked off to Jack the Clipper for a bit of pampering, so I was able to fully relax into my treatment at Nails & Brows. They started with a paraffin wax treatment followed by an amazing hand massage and a file and polish.

I was running slightly late when we got back to the hotel, but just about had time for lunch with Ben at Smith & Whistle which was absolutely delicious and such a good spot. Especially if you’re at Winter Wonderland at all this year, I would highly recommend stopping there for a hearty lunch!

A quick change and we were ready for our Ballroom dancing in the stunning ballroom at the Sheraton. I wore this beautiful prom style dress from Boohoo – after all, half the fun is dressing for the occasion. You can see how well we did at the dancing in our vlog from the weekend, but dancing in that ballroom was such an incredible experience!

Still reeling from learning how to Waltz and Tango, we had a bit of time in the room to relax (I climbed back into that wonderful bath) before a cocktail masterclass with the head bartender at Smith & Whistle. He even let Ben and I pop behind the bar to make our own drinks. I’m not going to lie, I now make a mean Espresso Martini!

As the clock hit 8pm, we made our way into Mercante restaurant for the most incredible supper I’ve had in a long time. We ordered a load of sharer dishes on recommendation from the waiter and managed to eat every single one of them. One of my favourites was bread with a layer of broccoli on top and meat fat which sounds horrendous but was one of the best things I’ve eaten.

We stayed for one drink after supper before making our way back to the room to collapse into the marshmallow softness of our lovely bed once more.

Sunday was an extremely relaxed affair. Breakfast at Mercante again – this time a buffet spread with whatever we wanted and the best hot chocolate (so good I had two). The only other activity we had planned was afternoon tea in the Palm Court for that afternoon, so decided to pop to Oxford Street to do a little Christmas Shopping.

My second experience of the Palm Court Afternoon Tea was just as good as the first with delicious sandwiches, scones and cakes and topped with a wonderful tea menu and glass of bubbles each.

A Staycation has been something I’ve wanted to do for such a long time, but Ben never really saw the point in it because our house is so close to the centre of town. It was such a gorgeous weekend and The Sheraton took such good care of us.

Sometimes I do wonder with stays like this whether we have received exceptional service just because we’ve been invited, but each guest staying at the hotel was treated with the same care and grace by every single member of staff, that’s when you know it really is a great hotel. Bricks and mortar only go so far, but I really believe it’s the people that make a place and our stay at the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane was no exception. It’s weekends like that where you feel truly rested and ready for the week ahead. A genuine highlight of 2016.